CosmicGrain | CosmicGrain

CosmicGrain is an open-source module for live dust evolution in cosmological hydrodynamics simulations.

CosmicGrain simulation grid showing dust and gas surface density across model variants

The Gist

Dust grains are active on-the-fly superparticles with their own size, composition, and thermal state — not a passive tracer field — fully coupled to GADGET-4's gravity and hydrodynamics solvers.

Full Dust Grain Lifecycle

Creation

SNII and AGB dust yields injected as new grain superparticles
Dynamics

Aerodynamic drag coupling every grain to the gas flow, plus radiation pressure driving small grains near young stars
Growth & processing

Gas-phase accretion, coagulation, and turbulence-driven shattering in the ISM
Destruction

Thermal sputtering in hot gas, SN shock destruction, and astration into stars